Proper Food Safety Will Help Everyone Enjoy Summer Cookouts

(KNSI) – The United States Department of Agriculture says food safety in the summer consists of four steps: Clean, separate, cook, and chill.

Specialist Archie Magoulas says it starts with washing your hands and avoiding cross contamination between what's already on the grill and raw meat. He says you should not prepare food to fit a look. Bacteria can still live in hamburger, even if it appears brown throughout. Instead focus on temperature.

"You gotta reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit for ground beef. Anything poultry, like chicken, you have to reach 165. Steaks are a little different. You have to reach about 145 for steaks or cuts or red meat. We say give it a three minute rest after you reach 145 [degrees]."

Magoulas says steaks need to be done to at least medium rare to reach the desired temperature. While your barbecue or cookout is still going, keep meat and dairy products like mayonnaise or egg salad on ice after about an hour in the elements. That is the chill portion.

The final element of food safety lasts well after the grill has been turned off and the guests have left. Magoulas says you have less than a handful of days to chow down on leftovers before they begin to spoil.

"In the refrigerator, they can last about three to four days. That's for cooked, safely handled foods whether it's vegetarian, whether it's meat. It's a very general guideline — three to four days."

The USDA has a food safety website plus a hotline to help out with any questions you may have. The telephone number specifically for meat and poultry is 1-888-674-6854. More information is here.

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